Afghanistan: Consultant (Communication & Outreach)

Background and Context

UNESCO is the specialized agency of the United Nations with a mandate in education, science, culture, communication and access to information. It is one of the largest players in culture and cultural heritage in Afghanistan and supports the government in its endeavor to preserve the country’s heritage and promote nation-building.

Within this overall framework, UNESCO is currently undertaking a number of different cultural programs, aimed at supporting the relevant Afghan authorities in their efforts to protect and promote Afghanistan culture in all its dimensions and its contribution to the social and economic development of the country.

In 2014 UNESCO started a specific program aimed at providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) and Ministry of Mines & Petroleum (MoMP) in ensuring a proper integration of heritage protection into large-scale development initiatives, with a focus on the extractive sector.

Initially conceived as a two-year project (2014-2016), the first phase has shown the relevance of continuing the activated process through a II Phase, entitled The Afghanistan Heritage & Extractive Development Initiative - II Phase (AHEDI-II) which will further enhance and expand the results obtained during the first phase of implementation.

In 2016, the Ministry of Finance of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and UNESCO signed a partnership agreement to develop the culture and creative industries in Afghanistan through a newly-established Multi-Partner Trust Fund.

Recognizing the power of culture as a driver of social and economic development, this long-term initiative is established to support the National Program for Culture and Creative Economy (NPCE). The program prioritizes culture in the country’s policies and strategies to create jobs and improve livelihoods and exports. It seeks to harness cultural heritage and industries among Afghanistan’s core resources globally. It will focus on three priorities: (i) the safeguarding of cultural heritage, (ii) the development of a network of cultural centers across the country to foster heritage education and (iii) the promotion of creative industry for employability and job creation.

UNESCO is looking for a committed Communication & Outreach Consultant with specific experience in cultural projects who will support the communication and advocacy activities that UNESCO will be carrying out within this two initiatives' framework.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall authority of the Director of the Kabul Office, overall supervision of the Head of Culture Unit and direct supervision of the Project Manager, the successful candidate will support the development of a series of communication and outreach materials on the roll-out of cultural initiatives for the AHEDI - II and NPCE. The incumbent will coordinate with the Culture Unit team and relevant Afghan Ministries, as necessary to ensure communication and advocacy activities remain relevant to the culture programmes in general and the Projects expected results in particular, in accordance with both UNESCO and Afghanistan strategic priorities for the promotion of cultural initiatives in the country.

The incumbent will:

· Design the launching in the web of the GIS platform created for the Mes Aynak archaeological site, including leading the definition of proper graphic solutions for an easy access of users, while liaising with experts in charge of the scientific contents and GIS technical management in order to protect possible sensitive data;

· Based on the approved Communication & Visibility Plan of the AHEDI-II Project, coordinate:

1. The production of at least 1 promotional video;

2. The increase of social Media posts on the Project;

3. The production of at least 1 Human Interest Feature Story;

4. The production of at least 1 leaflet.

· Coordinate the design and planning of a launching event for the forthcoming World Bank Afghanistan Extractive for Development program (AE4D), to be possibly organized by the end of April 2019;

· Design a standardized layout and contents framework for reporting and disseminating the results of the periodical Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings for the Mes Aynak archaeological site;

· Design an attractive outline for the first of a series of culture-related technical manuals prepared, in both English and Dari, under the AHED-II and as contribution to Thematic Areas n.2/3 of the NPCE. The first one produced in a manual on methodologies for conducting archaeological excavations, with a focus on earthen materials;

· Develop and coordinate the production of an Educational Manual on the archaeological site of the archaeological site of Mes Aynak;

· Coordinate the production of at least 1 promotional video and fact-sheets for visibility purposes on the overall NPCE scope and activities, including alignments with the Government's strategy in the field of culture;

· Conduct a mapping of cultural actors and potential partners in Afghanistan in order to identify potential audiences and improve the CLT’s sector outreach, with specific focus on NPCE overall strategy.

The assignment will require the incumbent to liaise with UNESCO HQs as required to ensure alignment with the UNESCO communication approaches.

Competencies

A successful candidate will be required to demonstrate the following competencies:

Core Competencies

· Accountability

· Communication

· Teamwork

· Commitment

· Results focus

· Planning and organizing

· Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement

For detailed information please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework

Required qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in social or human sciences, development studies, or any other related field.

Work Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in the culture sector, with at least 2-year experience at the international level. Experience using social media for organizational advocacy and awareness-raising is required. Good knowledge and experience in handling of web-based management systems would be an asset. Previous experience with a multilateral or international organization is preferred. Prior experience in UN system will be an advantage.

Skills and competencies

• Core: Proven skills in process documentation and writing communication/visibility/advocacy materials; well conversant in using computer, multimedia projector, digital camera, video camera, and other electronic devices as relevant. Experience with the full Microsoft Office Software package, Graphic Design and Photoshop is required;
• Managerial: Ability to plan and coordinate communication/advocacy strategies and initiatives; proved capacity in identifying required needs to ensure the effectiveness of the planned initiatives; good judgment and creativity, ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Language: Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of Pashto and/or Dari will be an asset.

Candidates are requested to send their application, including a CV and cover letter (in English) indicating the vacancy number (KAB/CLT/10/2018/01) before 29 October 2018 midnight (Afghanistan time), to (k.human-resource@unesco.org)